Mr Sean Seach, a business development manager at a multinational corporation and a sixth generation
Seah, who is on a personal quest to rediscover his family's history.

SINGAPORE - Sombre photos of Singaporean pioneer Seah Eu Chin used to hang on the walls of Mr Sean Seah's family home.

Then there are the roads, such as Eu Chin Street in Tiong Bahru and Seah Street in the city.

But as a young boy, Sean had little inkling about just how influential his famous ancestor was.

The late Seah, for instance, was known as the "King of Gambier", having built his fortune as the owner of gambier plantations in areas like Thomson. He was also one of the founders of the Ngee Ann Kongsi, a Teochew clan association that was set up in 1845.

It was only two years ago, however, when the younger Seah saw the large and newly discovered grave of his ancestor for the first time, that everything clicked.

Now, he is hoping to save the grave in Toa Payoh West, which is at risk of redevelopment due to its proximity to the upcoming North-South Expressway.

He approached the National Heritage Board last month and plans to put together a petition signed by descendants of Seah Eu Chin's four sons to preserve the grave, which sits on land where the late Seah grew pepper and gambier.

Said Mr Seah, 38, a business development manager at a multinational corporation and a sixth generation Seah: "I felt a connection to him after seeing something so large and tangible.

"The grave is a living testament of his life and success, and very different from just reading off a list of his accolades or hearing stories from my grandfather about his achievements. For the first time, I felt that my lineage was truly special," he said.

His visit to the grave alongside 40 other family members prompted Mr Seah to embark on a journey to rediscover his lineage.

Now, he is one of the more active Seahs on a mission to rediscover his roots and champion his family's heritage.

For instance, Mr Seah spends most of his time outside of work combing through archives, looking for distant relatives and filming videos documenting his quest.

The grave where his ancestor was buried with his two wives in 1883 was discovered in 2012 by tombstone hunters, brothers Raymond and Charles Goh.